Alliance

Submitted by andrew.francis on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 08:46

Women Voters Key

Polls examining the election for Maine Governor have been telling a consistent story for months: it’s a two-way race between Republican Governor LePage and Democratic Congressman Mike Michaud, with Eliot Cutler a distant third. At this point, LePage’s best chance of winning is if progressive and moderate voters split the vote between Michaud and Cutler.

One of the most exciting opportunities offered by an election year is the chance to hear elected officials discuss issues that are important to our communities and families, and to learn more about their personal priorities as legislators. Long term care issues afford Maine voters a chance to compare candidates in a way that’s been left out of television ads and newspaper profiles thus far.

At the end of every legislative session, MPA releases a legislative scorecard that evaluates legislators on where they stand not just on the individual issues, but also on their fundamental values, including where they stand on community, investing in the future, fairness, equality, and justice for all Maine people.

At the end of every legislative session, MPA releases a legislative scorecard that evaluates legislators on where they stand not just on the individual issues, but also on their fundamental values, including where they stand on community, investing in the future, fairness, equality, and justice for all Maine people.

The Maine People’s Alliance continues to play an active role in the Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine (ACHM), a coalition of environmental and public health groups working to ensure Maine’s children are protected from dangerous chemicals lurking in everyday products. This year, the coalition kicked off an aggressive grassroots campaign to force the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to take action on a series of chemicals called phthalates (pronounced thal-lates).

Maine was the first state to pass Clean Elections, a system of public financing for legislative and gubernatorial candidates, and for over 10 years the system has been a growing success with up to 80% of the legislature running ‘clean.’ Getting the money out of politics has continued to enjoy strong public support.

It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the constant coverage of Maine’s aging population. Lately, it seems impossible to hear a politician deliver a public address or simply listen to the news without a reminder that Maine is the oldest state in the nation and that by 2030, one in four Mainers will be over the age of 65.

One of MPA’s most important areas of focus over the past year has been working to convince just a few more Republican legislators to vote in favor of accepting the federal funds made available through the Affordable Care Act to provide MaineCare to 70,000 Maine people.

Last summer, after reflecting upon MPA’s work in the previous session, members decided to change the way MPA was approaching the campaign. It was decided to bring the stories of real people to the forefront and change the conversation from one about money and jobs to one about human rights and the impact on people.

Earlier this year, the LePage administration proposed a rule change in the Department of Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) General Assistance program that would cut funding for certain categories of immigrants, including refugees and asylum seekers who settle in Maine after fleeing from political turmoil and persecution in their home countries. For these immigrant families trying to get on their feet in their new communities, General Assistance is sometimes their only financial lifeline.